Soap&Skin

Biography

Since her first songs appeared on MySpace in 2006 at the fresh age of 16, Anja Plaschg alias Soap&Skin, has provoked both fascination and irritation by her deeply melancholic compositions of piano, crackling electronica and inimitable vocals, oscillating between a whisper and a scream. Live, Anja Plaschg casts her feverish gaze across the audience, surrendering herself to them and to her music, gasping for breath one moment and, her head tossed back, howling like a wolf the next; a fragile figure possessed.

“Lovetune For Vacuum” (2009) her enthusiastically received first record has sold tens of thousands of copies; Soap&Skin has already appeared live in almost every European city. John Cale of Velvet Underground invited her to perform at a Nico-tribute in Italy and she has opened for Patti Smith at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The BBC has repeatedly brought the Vienna-based musician into its studio; she has played a “Black Session” for Radio France, a live studio concert for millions of listeners.

Supporting her mini-album “Narrow” released February 2012 on PIAS, Anja Plaschg now presents her songs accompanied by a chamber music ensemble: three strings, a horn, a bass, a background voice; the sextet is led by cellist Christof Unterberger.